Method of manufacturing hopper car frame structure



` April-8519512 G. a. DOREY- 2,591,924

vMETHOD F. MANUFACTURING HOPFER CAR FRAME: STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 22; 1947v s sheets-sheet 1 l #Us F. QQ g l :I

L* "Il M N m' 'F i i n liIf'u T IN Fr 5 PM l II 1| l r2 2,591,924 METHOD OF' MANUFACTURING HOPPER CAR FRAME STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 22, 1947 G. B. DOREY April s, 1952` s sheets-sheet 2 IN VEN TOR.

April 8, 1952 c. BQ DoREY METHOD OF MANUFACTURING HOPPER CAR FRAME STRUCTURE Filed Dec. 22, 1947 3 SheetsSheet 3 IN V EN TOR.

Patented Apr. 8, i952 METHOD F MANUFACTURING HOPPER CAR FRAME STRUCTURE George B. Dorey, Westmount, Quebec, Canada, assignor to Enterprise Railway Equipment Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application December 22, 1947, Serial No. 793,235

1 Claim. l

My invention relates to an improved method of manufacturing hopper car frame structures and relates to a type commonly used to accomodate a discharge door.

A speciiic object of my invention is to provide va Welded frame structure incorporating a stir- 'manner a bulb angle member is applied in a door frame to make useof the concentration of metal provided by the bulb section in order to mitigate the effects of wear and corrosion.

- A My invention further resides in certain details of parts such as will be more fully pointed out hereinafter and claimed.

For further comprehension vof my invention ureferene may be had to the accompanying drawings wherein: Fig. 1 is a vertical transverse sectional view taken through a hopper car and showing my improved construction as applied to a hopper on one side of the center sill. Fig. 2 is a vertical longitudinal side view of that portion of the hopper car shown in Fig. 1, said View showing'the door in conventional dot and dash lines in open position. Fig. 3 is a fractional sectional elevational view on an enlarged scale taken through the lower portion of the hopper and on a line corresponding substantially to a line 3?-3 of Fig. 1. Fig. 4 is a fractional sectional elevational View on an enlarged scale taken through the upper part `of the hopper and on a line 4-,4 of Fig. l. Fig. 5 is a 'vertical elevational view` of a frame and door assembly -with1 my improvements as shown detached from the c ar. Fig. 6 is a vertical elevational view of the assembly shown in Fig. 5 as viewed fromleft to right. Fig. 7 is a cross sectional plan view taken through the frame and door and as viewed on a line 'I--1 of Fig. 5. Fig. 8 is an elevational front view of the stirrup portion of the hopper frame illustrated in Fig. 5. Fig. 9 is a side elevational view of the stirrup shown in Fig. 8 as viewed from left to right. Fig. 10 is a top plan view of Fig. 8. Fig. 11 is a plan View of a rolled structural shape in the form of an angle beam member known as a bulb angle member, said view showing the member prior vto being bent to nalshape as indicated in Fig.

8, said View being on a reduced scale as compared to the illustrations shown in Figs. 8 to l10 inclusive.

In said drawings my improvements are shown as applied to the so-called W-type of hopper car in which hoppers are disposed in transversely alined relation von opposite sides of the centersill. inasmuch as the construction on the opposite sides of the centersill is similar, the description herein will be coni-ined to the structure of only one of the hoppers. In said drawings, the centersill is shown. at Ill and the lower portion of a side wall at II. The hopper structure is defined by inner and outer walls as at I2 and I3 respectively, said walls being spaced transversely from each other and connected by transversely extending upper and lower oppositely sloping' floor walls as indicated at I4 and I5 respectively.

The said inner and outer walls I2 and I3 lead upwardly and outwardly from the sloping floor wall I5 on curves I6 of appreciable radius and the outer wall I3 extends at an incline to meet the lower l.portion of the adjacent side wall II whereas the'inner wall I2 extends at a comparatively steep angle to meet with the center sill.

Positioned across the open end of the hopper is the frame assembly consisting of the frame A and its associated pivotally mounted door B. The frame A includes a transversely disposed upper member I'I preferably formed of 'a bulb angle member having the web thereof I8 disposed in underlying relation with respect to the upper sloping iioor I 4. and having the Lflange I9 outstanding to form the top Wall of a foursided discharge chute defining the sides of the door opening of the frame. The sides and bottom of the discharge chute are formed by the outer portion of a bulb angle member bent in stirrup form to extend around the hopper side and bottom walls. The said stirrup member 2|] is formed of a bulb angle member disposed with the web 2I Athereof disposed beneath the hopper bottom wall and projects beyond the hopper side walls an appreciable distance to form the lower wall 22 of the discharge chute. The ends of the stirrup member outwardly of the hopper bottom wall are formed with a slot 23 to divide the web in separated sections indicated at 24, 25. 28 and 2l and the inner sections carrying the outstanding iiange 28 are bent to overlie the hopper side walls, section 24 being disposed to overlie the side wall I2 and section 25 to overlie outer wall I3 and sections 26 and 21 are extended inwardly of the said overlying walls to form the side walls of the chute. The outer margin of the chute walls carry the bulb portion 29 of the stirrup member and thus a Well reinforced edge section is obtained for the outer edge of the said bottom and side walls of the chute.

The said sections 26 and 21 have their end edge portion 30 brought into meeting relation With the outstanding flange I9 of the upper member and welded thereto at 3 I. Similarly the overlying sections 24 and 25 are brought into meeting relation with the ends of the beam I1 and welded thereto at 32 and 33. Outwardly of the discharge opening the outstanding flange I9 of the top member is coped out as at 34 and 35 and triangular shaped floor plates 36 and 31 are disposed adjacent the respective sides of the discharge opening to bridge the space intermediate the opening and hopper side walls, said plates being weldedto the respective associated separated sections of the stirrup member and welded thereto as indicated at 33 andv 39 in the case of floor plate 36 and at 40 and 4I in the case of plate 31. Said respective plate sections 36 and 31 are further brought into meeting relation with the coped out flange section of the top member and welded thereto as indicated at 42 and 43.

The door B in its closed position abuts the bulb portion 29 of the frame chute lower and side walls, said door being formed with upturned flanges 44 arranged to enclose the chute. The door is hingedly mounted adjacent the upper part of the frame on hinge butts 45 which preferably consist of a pair of plates welded to the top member I'l. Said top member I1 is preferably formed of a bulb angle member with the bulb portion 46 at vthe extreme upper edge of the frame. The concentration of metal at the extreme edge of the frame makes it possible to dispose openings 41 in the web I8 to receive the rounded portion 48 of the hinges of the door and thus permits the disposition of the hinge pivots of the door immediately belov.r the transverse upper wall I4 and car without impairing the clearance between the swinging edge of the door and the rail.

The use of the bulb angle member as the top member of the frame with the bulb formation 46 vlocated at the extreme upper edge of the door frame is a factor which makes it possible to dispose the openings 41 in the web Without unduly reducing the strength of the beam. In order to coordinate the strength of the bulb formation 46 with the web I8 the hinge butt Plates 45 are K welded to both the web I8 and the bulb 46.

In the conventional type of car of the character described, it is customary to offset the frame at an angle of approximately 9 degrees from the normal relatively to the bottom hopper wall, as at 49,\which results in imparting an undesirable twist to the door abutting face of the frame during bending of the stirrup. When the latter is formed in one piece the twisting tendency is counteracted in my improved construction by deflecting the lower outer portion of the stirrup as indicated at 50 thereby allowing for the bending of the side walls of the chute about the curved corners in right angular relation. It will also be noted that the side wall portions of the stirrup are bent in such a manner that a twist is necessary as at 5I and 52 in order to conform t0 the inclination of the hopper side walls. In my improved construction inasmuch as the bending operation of the split stirrup sections is independently effected, it will be evident that considerable distortion of the twisted section of the beam may be made without affecting the alinement of the chute walls. The physical separation of the two parts of the stirrup is of importance in facilitating the manufacture of the complete frame and assuring a uniform and level bearing surface against which the door will abut when in closed position.

What I claim is: i

Method of manufacturing a frame for positioning around a railway car hopper opening defined by a bottom wall and side walls diverging therefrom so as to provide a discharge opening smaller than said hopper opening, said hopper opening lyi'ng in a plane at an obtuse angle to theplane of said bottom Wall which comprises: providing a top beam member long enough to extend across the top of said hopper opening, shaping a straplike member flatwise into a stirrup member so that its cross section conforms to said bottom and side walls, longitudinally splitting the ends of said stirrup member along the portions thereof conforming to said side walls, bending the outer split end portions toward each other in divergent relation to the inner split end portions so as t0 extend normal to said hopper opening when assembled in juxtaposition thereto to define the sides of said discharge opening, welding the upper ends of said divergent split end portions to the underside of said top beam member, and welding plate members to said divergent split end portions and to the under side of said beam member.

GEORGE B. DOREY.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the le of this patent.'

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date Re. 17,806 Wine Sept. 16, 1930 319,305 Paige June 2, 1885 1,827,997 Mussey Oct. 20, 1931 1,859,261 Mussey et al. May 17, 1932 1,882,186 Hankins Oct. 11, 1932 1,953,014 Hankins Mar. 27, 1934 2,091,721 Soderberg et al. Aug. 31, 1931 2,123,842 Cox July 12, 1938 2,140,268 Moss Dec. 13, 1938 

